A moving account of overcoming extreme adversity in the pursuit of independence, reminiscent of The Glass Castle and Tara Westover’s Educated. Teressa’s sergeant father brings his military life to their already unstable home, meeting each of his daughters’ infractions with extreme punishment while their mother remains unsupportive and silent. Aided only by the solace of books, music, and a few kind figures, Teressa finds an eventual path to survival and redemption, finding pride in the fact that her father was never able to break her, no matter how hard he tried.